MachiaVillain is a smart management game which rests on a appealing idea: being a bad guy and killing people with style. Cartoonish but deep, the only big issue is its overloaded interface which can be misleading.

MachiaVillain is a provides a terribly fun concept for a management simulation game. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but momentary bits of frustration aren’t enough to turn players off from the enjoyable core mechanics. This is the sort of game that can easily be played for hours on end and feel like only minutes have passed.

MachiaVillain is a interesting mix between the horror movies clichés and a sim but after few hours the game feels clumsy and devious in its mechanics.

In terms of malice this is in one line with classics like Dungeon Keeper or Evil Genius. But building and maintaining the horror house of your nightmares is more tedious than expected.

Ultimately, MachiaVillain needs a lot of cleaning up, explanations and balance fixes. Then maybe we can all come together to have a bloody good time.

It’s a fun and zany game with a quirky art style (feels similar to Don’t Starve) but it can be cumbersome. Also, the randomization can hurt: I had to start several games over from minute 1 when there wasn’t enough free space to start building my haunted house. Also… the ability to have multiple stories would be nice. Haunted basements, anyone? Attics?

A well-presented game, but exploring shows it's more dilapidated cabin than ominous mansion. [July 2018, p.65]